glorified scrubbing

style.com

25% of alexander wang's spring collection could be described as glorified "scrubbing," as we used to call it back in the day when you wore a hoodie sweatshirt and gym pants to school. at first, i wasn't really sure that i could get behind the idea of designer sweatshirts with voluminous sleeves and leather accents. but then, my persistent desire to be comfortable (yes, i repeatedly commit the sin of letting my ass hang out in leggings while wearing crappy old t-shirts and boots to the supermarket) got the better of me.

sweatshirt poncho, target. white tee, gap. tangled cross necklace, forever 21. jeans, target. bag, old navy. motorcycle boots, vintage.

i'm kind of obsessed with this hoodie/poncho hybrid right now. it's just too damn comfortable to take off. even if i had the money, i don't think i'd spend $400 on an a.wang sweatshirt. $400 on one his body-con cut out dresses? different story. but this $20 "thing" from target satisfies that lazy, "i don't want to get dressed" feeling i always get on the weekends.

i also scored the bag for $6 bucks from old navy without realizing how evocative it is of the handbags in his S/S 2010 collection, chunky silver trim and all. yes, alexander wang has certainly hit the mainstream.

nights in pink satin

shirt, bcbg. shorts and ankle boots, urban outfitters. necklace, vintage. studded cuff, express. men's nail bracelet, aubaine.

never, ever did i think i would say this, but lately, i've been really into pale pink. my wardrobe is pretty much a monochromatic wash of black and gray, and i've always loathed pink in all its inherent girly-ness. now, i find myself scanning the racks for neutral shades of pink, taupe and tan, eschewing my usual black and gray. and if it's lingerie-inspired or lace-covered, then i'm buying it.

i found this $200 bcbg max azria top at tj maxx for $40. it was one of those brilliant shopping moments when your boyfriend is dragging you out of the store (because the only reason you were there in the first place was to buy him shorts) and you're telling him "just one more minute, i swear!" and then some gleaming, beautiful, misplaced satin thing catches your eye. i think this was hanging off the end of the women's plus-size pants rack. i really love this shirt. it encapsulates everything i want for spring right now: neutral, lacy, and lingerie-inspired with corset-like detail. and, it goes perfectly with my fake-chloe scalloped shorts and painful chunky pink wedges that i can't wear for more than five minutes at a time.

le smoking, le sigh.

helmut lang's inconic photo / stylefrizz.com

currently loving anything menswear- or tuxedo- inspired. since pure and unadulterated le smoking is pretty severe, i've been looking for other ways to channel the look (and because really, i have no place to go that would warrant wearing a sharply tailored suit.)

blazer, banana republic. vest, target. satin cummerbund belt and shorts, express. oxfords, aerosoles.*

bodysuit, zac posen for target.

long vest, forever 21. lace-up boots, urban outfitters.

give me pretty florals and subtle nudes, but i'll always love black menswear silhouettes with a feminine twist.

*confession: i have grandma feet that hurt like hell in heels. i'd totally wear orthopedic shoes if they were stylish. aerosoles are the only three to four inch heels that i can tolerate for more than an hour at a time.

if i could wear pajamas every day i would

romper, charlotte russe ($12). beaded necklace, forever 21. bracelets, vintage.

summer stopped by for the weekend: it was almost 90 degrees on saturday and sunday, and not without the gross and oppressive jersey humidity that tortures us every year (ok, i'm sure people in florida would tell me to shut up and stop complaining)... perfect weather to run around the park in my cheap new romper and mess around with my expensive new camera!

so it's not the black one-shouldered debbie-inspired number i've been coveting and which i have yet to find. however, during one of my usual lunch-break power-shopping trips, charlotte russe lured me off the beaten path at woodbridge mall with the promise of $12 rompers. hoping for black, tiny and one-shouldered (nope!), i settled for black, button-down and scoop-necked instead.

the minute i tried the thing on, i didn't want to take it off. soft, comfortable cotton + swingy, loose shorts = pajamas that are permissible for day-time wear.

gladiator sandals, vintage target (yeah, these are the infamous 4-year old "hermes" sandals).

in pursuit of cooler boots

is there anything more moronic looking than a girl wearing fuzzy uggs with a mini skirt and bare legs? (maybe girls walking around in uggs and terry track suits with the words "pink" or "juice couture" emblazoned on their asses.) i always thought summer boots were an oxymoron, but my love for boots has sent me on a quest for warm weather-appropriate versions.

it's been particularly cold here in new jersey this week, so even though it's almost may, i'm still wearing leather booties and long pants. what i really want, though, is a pair of transitional boots made of canvas or linen to take me through spring and right into summer.

bootsaholic.com

since these isabel marant spring 2010's are out of the question...

i'm considering some far cheaper options.


for me, all roads seem to lead back to urban outfitters. i'm trying to expand my budget-shopping horizons, but it's hard when there's an urban store right five minutes down the road from my office! i've become an expert at scouring their $10 and $20 dollar sale racks.

i see these boots paired with an old, vintage slip of a dress, or an old ratty tee and perfectly worn in denim or leather shorts. more on my new leather fixation for another post...

blondie is the name of a band

rateyourmusic.com

i need a tiny, black one-shoulder romper to complete my life.

ebay. com

deborah-harry.com

if i could have any face in the world, it would be debbie harry's. her beauty is unreal, all razor-sharp cheekbones and cupid-bow lips. the men behind the front woman may have insisted "blondie is the name of a band," but it was all about the inimitable debbie.

i think that many times, when i'm getting ready to go out on weekends, i'm subconsciously trying to replicate her look. platinum hair, dark cat-eye eyeliner, sky-high hemlines, black one-shoulder dresses...

dress, urban outfitters. chain necklace, vintage. wedges, faryl by farylrobin

i'm pretty sure the only reason i go out anymore is so i can wear all the things i can't wear to work, which is like 80% of my wardrobe.

for the birds

i can't help but love anything bird-related. but in recent years, bird motifs have been exhausted as an interior design trend, with cute little birds flying on everything from pillows to curtains to wallpaper (anthropologie, anyone?)



however, it seems like the trend has been re-invigorated through fashion with miu miu's spring 2010 collection. overall, the collection, which was kind of chaotic, didn't really do it for me. the collision of clashing animal prints (cats with birds), colors (navy with black), sequins (splattered on top of prints) and shapes (collars, ruffles and cut-outs) seemed contrived and disjointed, like "let's see how many random/quirky/kitschy things we can slap on a pants suit!"

thefashionpolice.net

style.com

the stand-out items in the collection were the much-blogged about satin bird platforms. scanning through images of the collection, i was instantly drawn to the shoes and reminded of the beautiful, dreamy bird-appliqued sky-blue rochas dress that kirsten dunst wore to cannes a few years ago. i remember a lot of critics hated that dress!

played out or not, i still love birds. some recent bird-related online scores:

bird cage jewelry stand, urban outfitters ($10)

owl jewelry tree stand, urban outfitters ($5). dollar store elephant figurine.*

*i may love elephants more than i love birds!

i tend to neglect a lot of my jewelry by leaving it tangled up and out of sight in dusty old jewelry boxes. these jewelry holders offer the perfect solution: visibility, with cute bird themes to boot.